How does a movie theatre survive and thrive during a pandemic? With so many businesses closing, it’s especially hard to imagine how an activity that typically involves being near strangers inside could stay afloat. However, a classic way of watching movies is regaining popularity—drive-in theatres have done great business during the pandemic, and a new one opened in Chapel Hill Oct. 14.
Carraway Village, off Eubanks Road, now holds apartment complexes, a Starbucks, a Chick-Fil-A and the newest addition, the drive-in.
“In this COVID environment, there’s an emphasis on being outdoors and being able to do things with enough space, and that’s something we have the luxury of having at Carraway,” said Northwood Ravin developer Kyle Whitaker, one of the co-developers for Carraway Village and leader of the drive-in project.
Currently there are spots for 140 cars at the theatre, but there may be sections added in the future for people who don’t want to sit in their cars to watch. These sections would be for people who rode their bikes or walked to the theatre, as well as for car riders who want to sit outside. The viewing screen is 50 feet wide and 27 feet tall, and the sound plays through an FM radio station. The drive-in will also feature a rotating selection of food trucks.
Adam Golden, the other co-developer for Carraway Village, called their drive-in “a modern take on an ‘old-school’ medium.”
Part of what makes this drive-in modern is what it was built for. Northwood Ravin was approached by the founder and CEO of Film Fest 919, Randy Emerman, about a venue to hold the Fest, which typically is held at Silverspot Cinema. This year, due to COVID-19, that would not have been possible. Golden and Whitaker thought Carraway would be the perfect place to both hold the festival and build a permanent drive-in. The festival is running Oct. 14-31, and will screen many potential Oscar nominees.
“Our plan is for the Drive-In at Carraway to be something that continues well beyond the film festival and continues to regularly show hit movies and host special events,” Golden said.
Both Golden and Whitaker said that one of the biggest challenges with building the theatre was the short timeline. Northwood Ravin only had about a month to build the theatre from when they were approached by Emerman. The theatre had to be finished before the festival began, and they also wanted to take advantage of the weather before the colder winter months.
Many members of both the Carraway and Chapel Hill communities are excited about the theatre. Stacey Lange is a mom to three kids, and has been watching the progress on the theatre from her car on the way to work. The selection of movies at the film festival is not suitable for kids, but Lange plans on visiting the theatre with her family when more family-friendly movies are screened.
“I think a drive-in theatre will be a welcome addition to the community,” she said. “It brings a little fun to this side of Chapel Hill.”
Photo by Owen Soccorso/The ECHO
